Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef-and-Noodle Soup)

By Mark Bittman

Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef-and-Noodle Soup)
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(896)
Comments
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In Vietnam, where there is enough rain, heat and sun to grow almost anything in large quantity, herbs are treated much like what most Americans consider "eating" greens. They sometimes form the bulk of salads and soups and are often used as wrappers, seasonings and condiments. Here, a pile of fresh herbs are served alongside this classic Vietnamese beef soup, so diners can add to taste. Basil, cilantro and mint are critical, but chervil, lovage, parsley, shiso, dill, marjoram and other tender herbs work, too.

Featured in: Herb Lessons on a Platter in Vietnam

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ½pound thin rice noodles (labeled "vermicelli" or "rice sticks")
  • 8cups rich beef or chicken stock
  • 4star anise
  • 1cinnamon stick
  • 11-inch chunk peeled fresh ginger
  • 1onion, quartered (don't bother to peel)
  • 4cloves
  • 1pound boneless sirloin, tenderloin or round (chicken may be substituted), cut into 16 thin slices
  • 2tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam, available at Asian markets) or soy sauce
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • 2limes, cut into wedges
  • 8scallions, minced
  • Several Thai or other chilies, stemmed, seeded and minced
  • A heaping plate of mixed herbs, washed and dried: basil, cilantro and mint are most important, but chervil, lovage, parsley, shiso, dill, marjoram and other tender herbs are all appropriate.
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

697 calories; 23 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 80 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 41 grams protein; 1900 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Soak rice noodles in hot water to cover.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, combine stock, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, onion and cloves in saucepan; turn heat to high. When mixture boils, turn heat to low, and cover. Let cook, undisturbed, for 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how much time you have (the longer the cooking, the deeper the flavor). Strain, and return to saucepan; turn heat to medium.

  3. Step 3

    Bring pot of water to boil. Drain noodles, add them to pot, and boil for 30 seconds; drain well. Warm 4 large bowls by filling them with hot water; discard water. Divide noodles among bowls.

  4. Step 4

    Turn heat under soup to medium, and add beef; stir once, and then turn off heat. (The meat is traditionally left rare; if you want to cook it more, go ahead, but these slices will cook through in less than 2 minutes.) Add fish sauce or soy sauce and plenty of pepper to the soup. Taste, and add salt or more seasoning, if necessary.

  5. Step 5

    Top noodles with broth and meat, and then bring to the table. Serve, passing lime wedges, scallions, chilies and herbs at the table, so that everyone can add them to taste.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
896 user ratings
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Comments

Luan Do

This recipe probably is good enough for a quick fix. Chicken pho from scratch can be done in less than 1 and a half hour. Beef pho from scratch would require at least 7 hours with more types of spices. Culantro and basil are usually preferred, not mint or other herbs mentioned. Ingredients I would use include ginger, pepper corn, cardamom (green and brown), cloves, coriander seeds, anise, cinnamon, roasted onions and garlic.

Rose

The fish sauce was overpowering for the delicate (delicious!) broth. Next time I will use 1/4 the amount.

Also will use 1/2 the noodles as this was too hearty for me

XP

The noodle used in this recipe is not "phở". In authentic Vietnamese phở recipe, roasted ginger, onion, shallots, Star annise, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom are the must. We don't use soy sauce for "phở", only fish sauce. Add the fish sauce before serving for better flavor.

Julie Stanford

Terrible. No flavor. Kids said “well it was food” but that is the bare minimum.

Alphonse G

I’ve on several occasions had packaged instant pho dishes. Their lists of ingredients were vague on exactly what spices were used for the very interesting flavor of their broth. Found this NY Times recipe when trying to find out what are used. This recipe gave me the spice combination I needed! The cooking instructions on my package of Vietnamese rice vermicelli say to cook it directly in boiling water without pre-soaking. I’m going to try cooking it in the seasoned broth next time.

sumariax

This recipe worked very well as a starting point. I made a bone broth over a couple of days and layered the other ingredients. Added coriander seeds and celery for brightness. Seared beef and a squeeze of lime on each serving made it sing.

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